Brine-agitator



' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES M. LAING, OF BAY CITY, MICHIGAN.

BRINE-AGITATOR.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 235,155, dated December7, 1880.

(No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JAMES M. LAING, of BayCity, in the county of Bay and State of Michigan, have invented anImprovement in Brine-Agitators, of which the following is aspecification.

The nature of this invention relates to certain new and usefulimprovements in that class of apparatus used in the manufacture of saltin which the brine is agitated at stated intervals by means of floats orbars, and the salt-crystals in the brine precipitated.

Heretofore salt-crystals of a uniform size and of any particular anduniform size have been formed by precipitating said crystals in thebrine by the agitation of the latter at regular intervals of time bymeans of floats or bars suspended therein.

The invention consists in the peculiar construction and arrangement ofparts, all as more fully hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View. Fig. 2 is a verticallongitudinal section.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, Arepresents a salt-grainer provided with the platform B, all of the usualconstruction. Near one end of this grainer I journal, transverselyacross the same, the shaft 0, which carries upon each end asprocket-wheel, D. Sprocket-Wheels I) are also journaled on short shaftsd, on each side of the grainer, and secured to its longitudinal sides,opposite each other.

E E represent endless chains provided with studs 0, which chains passaround the sprocket upon wheels D D.

A bar, F, is placed across the top of the grainer, the ends resting uponslides d. To this bar F, I secure two ormore rods or chains, 1), whichlead back under the platform B, and pass over pulleys G at the rear endof the grainer, and have secured to their free ends weights H. In eachsection of the grainer I suspend from the rod b a float or paddle, J.

In practice, the shaft being rotated, the chains are likewise carriedforward until the studs 0 on each chain come in contact with the ends ofthe bar F. This movement being continued, the bar F, with the floats, iscarried slowly toward the front end of the grainer until the studs 0slide under the ends of the bar F. The weights H then quickly jerk thebar back to its original position, causing the floats or paddles toagitate the brine and precipitate the salt formed on the surface of thebrine to the bottom of the grainer. This agitation of the brine, asdescribed, is repeated more or less frequently, as the quality of saltrequired may demand.

By the use of this device the use of butter, wholly or in part, is doneaway with, while at the same time it prevents the surface of the brinefrom coating over and stopping the evaporation.

What I claim as my invention is In a salt-grainer, and in combinationwith the shaft 0, the sprocket'wheels D D, chains E, bar F, rods orchains 1), floats or paddles J, and weights H, substantially as and forthe purposes specified.

JAMES M. LAING.

Witnesses:

H. S. SPRAGUE, CHARLES J. HUNT.

